The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Mayor Dennis Ballard wasn't buying the slippery slope argument Tuesday after a handicapped resident asked for restricted parking in front of her home. The City's Traffic Commission recommended that the request be denied, concerned that an approval might lead to an abundance of similar requests from across the community. But Mayor Ballard argued that there's "a real danger" in that reasoning, saying it causes council to "give to nobody because we just might have to give to a whole bunch of others." "I think we're capable of taking each case into account as it comes up," he said. The Traffic Commission has been asked to establish a handicapped parking spot in front of a home on Terrace Avenue, a high traffic area because of Ruth Betts School. Council ultimately approved the request, but not before Councillor Tom Therien spoke out against it. "When would you stop giving these out? So it's best to say no to all than to say yes to some," he said. Councillor Bill Hanson joined Mayor Ballard in disagreeing with that statement, saying the request is distinctive and unlikely to come up again with much frequency. "This individual, every time they go home, they can't get near their house because it's a high traffic area for parking," he said. "I think that there must be something we can do for this individual." Another debate was sparked when Councillor Dave Law made a motion for the City to renew its fuel supply contract with Imperial Oil without first going to tender. The contract expired last December, and Councillor Law recommended extending it to December 31, 2005, saying the City is getting "an excellent price." "Going to tender, maybe we'll get as good or better a price. Maybe we'll get a worse price," he said. His motion passed, but again there were concerns, with Councillor Therien pointing out that the City normally tenders all contracts. "We're electing not to tender in this case, and I don't know if that's fair," he said. Mayor Ballard was also in favour of going to tender, calling it "a fairness issue." In another matter at the meeting, motions carried to spend $131,000 on three new pieces of machinery: a 2004 backhoe for $78,000; a 2004 John Deere tractor, complete with a mower, rotary broom, and snowblower, for $33,000; and a 2004 extended cab 1/4 ton truck for $20,000 for use by the Utilities Department. In addition, council reviewed a letter from the Flin Flon Arts Council requesting permission to install a promotional sign near the Flin Flon Community Hall. The same request came last year, and Councillor Law said he wasn't sure whether the City ever received a design proposal for the sign as it wanted. See 'Other' P.# Con't from P.# He called the Community Hall "one of our high profile public buildings" and stressed that "we want to have a sign that's aesthetically pleasing." Council referred the letter to the Engineering Services Committee for further discussion. Also, Councillor Dave Kennedy became the latest politician to publicly blast the federal government for a perceived mismanagement of tax dollars. A letter to council from the Canadian Taxpayers Federation suggested that Ottawa is sitting on "billions of dollars in surplus fuel tax revenue" that should be directed to municipalities. But Councillor Kennedy doubts such a surplus exists. "I think that's probably incorrect because I think we all know they, let's say, fritter it away, is the best you can say it, on things such as (the) sponsorship (scandal) and gun registry," he said, drawing laughter from around the table. A recap of other matters: A motion carried to approve the City's 2004 Financial Plan. The plan includes over $700,000 in new capital projects and a modest 0.73 per cent increase in the residential mill rate. Council filed the Fire Chief's Report for May, which noted that there were nine incidents during the month. A motion carried to provide an extended bus service on August 3 from 6-8 p.m. to facilitate access to the RCMP Musical Ride at Foster Park. Regular fares will apply. A motion carried to to sponsor 20 congratulatory messages on local radio for the graduating students at Hapnot Collegiate, Many Faces Education Centre, and Frontier Collegiate in Cranberry Portage.
